Koh Larn residents pushed to form co-ops

Praphuet Poka, Chonburi’s head of agriculture and cooperatives, encourages Koh Larn residents to form agricultural and financial cooperatives to improve their fortunes.

Koh Larn residents were encouraged to form agricultural and financial cooperatives to improve the fortunes of the Pattaya resort island.

Praphuet Poka, the province’s head of agriculture and cooperatives, joined island co-op organizing director Praitikarnsudjai Kusumo Feb. 15 at the island’s administrative office for the briefing to 50 residents.

Praphuet provided knowledge on how to establish a cooperatives center that would co-ordinate the creation of agriculture, fisheries, retail, service and banking co-ops.

The initiative is part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives’ push to create more co-ops in Chonburi, Buriram and Nakhon Ratchasima.

After hearing insights on what co-op centers do and how it would improve their lives, residents can decide which types of organizations they want to form. Ministry officials said they would return in three months to help get any cooperatives the locals decide to form off the ground.